BIO 201 Lecture 23

BIO 201
Spring 2024
TSHq
Lecture 23
Topic 13: Introduction to Biotechnology-2
(Smith, chapter 6, 9, 10)
Take-home points:
1. Biological fuel generation
2. Environmental biotechnology
3. Plant and forest biotechnology
BIOLOGICAL FUEL GENERATION
- We usually use fossil fuels and nuclear power to generate electricity for homes, industries and energy for
transportations.
- Using fossil fuels has many disadvantages- it is a non-renewable energy source and cannot be replaced, and it also
causes greenhouse gas emission (especially CO2) which is linked to global warming.
- Biofuel is basically the production of energy from biological sources. Example: Solids like wood, liquids like bioethanol,
gases like methane
- As mentioned before, crops can be grown to produce biofuels and this is renewable because they can be regrown after
we use them
- It is also environmentally friendly because, even though burning the fuel will produce CO2, plants also absorb CO2
when growing
BIOFUELS: BIOETHANOL
- Bioethanol is ethanol which was made by biological processes
- Usually made by fermentation of carbohydrates in sugary/starchy
plants like corn and sugarcane
- Cellulose-sources like green grasses and trees, are also now being
used for bioethanol production
Steps of bioethanol production from different sources

BIOFUELS: BIODIESEL
- Biodiesel is produced from vegetable oils and is a viable alternative to conventional diesel
- Made by the transesterification of plant oils with methanol/ethanol
- Glycerol produced as a by-product is allowed to settle down and the biodiesel purified
- Advantages:
BIOFUELS: METHANE (BIOGAS)
- Methane gas can be used to generate energy for both domestic and
industrial purposes.
- Usually obtained by burning fossil fuels
- Microbial action in wet environments also naturally produce
methane
- In the biological production of methane (biogas), micro-organisms

are given a fuel source which they break down, step by step, to
produce methane at the end.
- However, there are many arguments against the industrial
production of methane using biotechnology, some of which are
given below.
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
- Many different domestic, industrial and agricultural processes lead to the accumulation of waste around us
- These waste materials are often toxic or produce toxic by-products
- Biotechnology can be used to handle this excess waste
- Micro-organisms already biodegradation ability. This can be enhanced or added to by the use of biotechnology
- But this has to be done very carefully, as we do not know how adding new micro-organisms into the waste will
affect the micro-organisms that already exist in it
- We must study the microbial ecology and how different microbial consortia react with each other.
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-
981-287-110-7_4/fulltext.html
• MICROBIAL CONSORTIA: Group of diverse

microorganisms that can work together as a
community
• BIODEGRADATION: Decomposition of
substances by microbial activity, both by
individual organisms and a consortia of
organisms
• MICROBIAL ECOLOGY: Interactions between
micro-organisms and their BIOTIC and ABIOTIC
environments
EFFECTS OF BACTERIA ON CHEMICAL POLLUTANTS
Example of a detoxifying enzyme:

- A derivative of benzene, the phenolic compound catechol or 1,2-dihydroxybenzene, has been deemed to be a very toxic
pollutant. Found in pesticides and insecticides.
- Very toxic for fish and other aquatic life
- The enzyme catechol-2,3-dioxygenase catalyzes the degradation of aromatic pollutants such as this
Catechol-2,3-
dioxygenase
COMPOSTING
- Compost is a mixture of partially decomposed plant material and other organic wastes. It is used to improve soil and fertilize
plants.
- Solid organic waste is turned into compost by an aerobic microbial-driven process
- This converts the solid waste into a stable, humus-like material which has reduced in bulk
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY
- Plants produce a variety of compounds that can be divided into primary metabolites and secondary metabolites.
- Primary metabolites are essential for the survival of the plant and include sugars, proteins and amino acids.
- Secondary metabolites were once believed to be waste products. They are not essential to the plant’s survival, but
the plant does suffer without them. Secondary metabolites also have many uses for us, too. Some are beneficial,
and others can be toxic.
Plant secondary - To improve the quality and yield of crops and plants,
metabolite
plants with desirable qualities can be cross-bred.
- But in addition to this, biotechnology and genetic
engineering techniques are also used more frequently
nowadays to favour the growth of plants with
desirable qualities for farmers, processors and
consumers
CHARACTERISTICS OF PLANTS THAT ARE FAVOURED
1. Pest resistance (example: Bt brinjal)

2. Viral/bacterial and fungal disease resistance
3. Oil, starch and protein reduction modifications
4. Herbicide tolerance
5. Physical features such as height, type of flowers, and flowering time
6. Reduction of seed loss by shedding
7. Modifications to fruit ripening and storage (so fruits can be stored longer without getting spoilt)
8. Tolerance to environmental stress such as extreme temperatures, salt salinity, etc.
9. Increased ability to remove toxic substances from soil (bioremediation)
10. Elimination of allergens
11. Enhancement of vitamins, minerals, and anti0cancer substances (ex: golden rice)
12. Production of pharmaceutical substances like anti-coagulants and edible vaccines
* These are some characteristics that we may want to enhance by using biotechnology *
FEATURES AND USEFULNESS OF TRANSGENIC PLANTS
Creating a more energy-efficient genetically modified version of rice:

https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/super-rice-sight-1483093
A project that aims to take a gene from maize plant and insert it into rice, to allow it to switch from the
Calvin cycle (C3) to a more energetically efficient cycle (C4) in the context of hot and dry weather
FOREST BIOTECHNOLOGY
- Even though demand for wood-derived products (pulp, paper, construction material, etc.) is increasing across the world,
worldwide forests are diminishing
- Traditional plant breeding programs will probably not be enough to recover from this
- Besides, forests need time to regenerate, so regular breeding strategies will not be relevant
- However, biotechnology can help us increase the amount and improve the quality of forests around the world
- Even though genetic modification of trees is a slow process due to long generation times, tissue culture technology has
already helped us a great deal
- Many transformed/transgenic plants that have been developed (example; loblolly pine transformed by Agrobacterium
tumefaciens) are designed to allow them to transfer genes faster to reduce the generation times.

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BIO 201

Steps of bioethanol production from different sources

- In the biological production of methane (biogas), micro-organisms

• MICROBIAL CONSORTIA: Group of diverse

Example of a detoxifying enzyme:

1. Pest resistance (example: Bt brinjal)

Creating a more energy-efficient genetically modified version of rice:

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